Illegal shark products are quietly passing between Australia and New Zealand, often concealed in personal luggage or posted under the radar. New findings from the University of Adelaide reveal the hidden trade of shark fins, meat, and trophies, with enforcement efforts struggling to keep pace.
Josephine Lingard, leading the research, explains how these items are entering the countries and remaining largely undetected.
Mapping the Flow of Shark Products
The study, published in Pacific Conservation Biology, uses border seizure data to track the movement of shark products, identifying the origins and key players behind the trade.
It also highlights significant gaps in enforcement systems. “Shark species are widely sought after for their fins, and many are used for shark fin soup, a delicacy and status symbol primarily consumed in Southeast Asia,” Lingard noted.
Australia is the Surprising Leader in NZ Shark Product Seizures
While most shark products entering Australia originate in Asia, the study uncovered a surprising trend in New Zealand: Australia emerged as the most dominant country of origin for shark product seizures—both in passenger luggage and mail.
“We did not expect Australia to be a dominant country of origin for seizures in Aotearoa/New Zealand, given Australia showed a decline in the number of seizures over time while Aotearoa/New Zealand’s seizures increased,” said Lingard.
Several possible explanations are proposed. “It may be the case that sharks are potentially caught and products processed and/or purchased in Australia, then taken to Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Australia may simply be listed as the country of origin, with products transiting through as a stopover for passengers traveling from elsewhere,” she added.
Endangered Species Face Increased Risk
Shark fins were the most commonly seized item, followed by meat and trophies, including preserved specimens—many of which came from the United States. This illicit trade is placing immense pressure on already threatened shark species.
“Over one-third of chondrichthyan species, which includes sharks and shark-like rays, are currently threatened with extinction, with all threatened shark species also overfished,” Lingard warned.
While the legal trade in fins, where sharks are landed with fins still attached, is decreasing, the overall shark meat trade has been steadily increasing since the early 2000s. Conservation management efforts are being outpaced by trade demand and poor documentation.
Species Identification Remains a Major Weak Spot
One of the study’s most alarming findings is the near-total absence of species-specific information in customs data. “Less than 1% of seizures from both countries contained species-specific information, but 14 of the 18 seized species that were identified were listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species,” Lingard said.
The difficulty in identifying whether products come from endangered species arises because most customs reports rely on general trade codes.
“The lack of species information across the datasets we reviewed mirrors general shark fisheries data, where species are often grouped using harmonised system codes. This makes conservation management challenging and impedes the monitoring of threatened species,” she added.
“Increased efforts to investigate and record accurate species information across wildlife seizures will greatly assist in understanding the patterns and drivers of the illegal wildlife trade, and help deliver real-world actions to help conserve threatened species,” Lingard concluded.